Allusions
by xxkoffeexx
Summary: Entering high school life takes a turn for the worst when Tsuna and his friends are roped into putting on a play.
1. Introduction

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Allusions

By _xxkoffeexx_

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Dedication: This multi-chap fic is for those YamaxHaru fans who wanted to read a multi-chap fic. So, by all means, here you go. XD By the way, that's a future warning for everyone coming in here. Lots of YamaxHaru-ness up ahead. Sorta.

Warning: So that means there will be lots of girliness up ahead. No slash, for those who prefer only that. And there will probably be lots of OOCness. Now you have been warned. XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! whatsoever.

Summary: Entering high school life takes a turn for the worst when Tsuna and his friends are roped into putting on a play.

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**_Intro _**

Today was the day.

Today Sawada Tsunayoshi was going to do it. Come rain or storm, he would confess to Sasagawa Kyoko. He would confess to her even if it killed him. No, cross that, he thought hastily. He didn't want to get shot by the Dying Will bullet. Not today. Nor tomorrow, for that matter, but he doubted his luck would last.

No. Today, he was going solo. No bullets, no gloves, no nothing. This time, he would go as a real man. As Vongola the Tenth. _Decimo_.

He straightened.

It was time.

:x:x:x:

Sasagawa Kyoko was nervous. She had been for a while now, ever since _that_ time. And it didn't help that he had been giving her weird looks, almost as if he didn't like her. Almost. It was quite discouraging, to say the least. Perhaps she really should give up—

No. She had to stop thinking like that. Hana had been supporting her this entire time, and Haru was counting on her to do her best. They were there for her every step of the way, and she couldn't bear to disappoint them.

No. She couldn't give up—_wouldn't_ give up. Even if feelings ended up getting hurt, she would keep going.

She took a deep breath.

:x:x:x:

And so, these two young people step forward, despite their heavy doubts and insecurities. Tsuna to his middle school crush and Kyoko toward… the bulletin board?

She clutched her hands as she stood before the board, eyes anxiously searching for one thing and one thing only. And that was not Tsuna.

He cleared his throat and smiled uncertainly. "Um… K-Kyoko—"

"There you are!" Kurokawa Hana spotted her best friend down the hall and made her way over. "Did you get the part? Where's your name? Ah, over here, Haru-chan!"

"Hahi! It's out today, isn't it?" Miura Haru hurried to join her friends, standing on Kyoko's other side. Together they looked at the bulletin board excitedly, completely ignoring the overlooked boy behind them.

Tsuna was heartbroken. Yet again his attempt to confess was thwarted. It was becoming an almost-funny pattern. He wondered if this was as much as he was going to get out of his sad love life, when there was a familiar call.

"Tenth!"

"Hey Tsuna!"

Gokudera and Yamamoto walked up to him, cheerfully oblivious of their friend's depressed state. "What are you doing here, Tenth?" Gokudera asked.

The baseball player glanced at Tsuna, who was staring at the three girls in front of him, who were staring at the bulletin like their lives depended on it. It was curious, so he asked, "What are they doing?" Tsuna opened his mouth.

"I got it! Hana-chan, Haru-chan, I got the part!" Kyoko was pointing at one of the papers, her voice singing with relief and happiness. Haru squealed and hugged the girl excitedly, nearly knocking down Hana who was patting Kyoko's head.

"I knew you would get it, Kyoko-chan! See, Maruki-san liked you!"

"Congratulations, Kyoko. You worked really hard for this."

"Thank you so much, Hana-chan, Haru-chan!"

Tsuna woke out of his stupor and rushed up to the bulletin, zooming in at the paper that had excited the girls so much. Yamamoto and Gokudera joined him. Then they all blinked and turned to look at each other.

"The Namimori High Festival Play…?"

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Moving up to high school was more or less straightforward. Tsuna and his friends all passed middle school and managed to get into the same high school. Haru had waited out the rest of middle school at Midori, and when it came to entrance exams she immediately applied for Namimori High (1). Needless to say she got in with flying colors, much to Tsuna's chagrin.

For some students, however, the process was a bit of a struggle. Hibari Kyoya, for instance, loved Namimori Middle School so much that he refused to graduate. Or more like, he found no reason to physically move himself from his favorite water tank on the school's roof that he was lying on, whilst the administrators coaxed and practically begged him to come down. Consequently, the rest of the Discipline Committee stayed put with their leader. It was beginning to look sticky, especially since the teachers and students desperately wanted him out of the school.

Finally, the principal (who needed Hibari and the Committee to leave even more desperately than the faculty) persuaded them to establish their position in high school—staying in middle school was not a challenge to them anymore, he argued. There were plenty of stronger people in high school who should make school life a little more interesting, maybe. And Namimori High was still Namimori. Well, with that line of persuasion, how could Hibari refuse?

And so, Hibari and the Discipline Committee moved to Namimori High, much to Tsuna's utter dismay.

:x:x:x:

The Student Council decided to hold a school festival that commemorated not only the blooming cherry blossoms, but also the arrival of the new freshmen. And to twist things up a bit, they also decided that the play, traditionally performed by the Drama club, be performed by first years only. The Council immediately loved the idea. They believed it would make the transition of middle school to high school smoother and easier, which was the whole point. They were ecstatic.

The only person who didn't like it was Hibari, but then, he didn't like the idea of having a festival period. And he wasn't even on the Council, so technically he didn't count. (But just to be safe, they promised him a small percent of the money raised. No getting "bitten" to death for them.)

Receiving the "okay" from the principal, the good-hearted Student Council eagerly made the outline of the festival, excited that the cute first years would get a chance to perform in front of the school.

As it would soon turn out, they were the only ones who felt that way.

And it is here that the story begins.

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(1) Is there such thing as Namimori High? Eh. I guess in my own little world there is. XD

A/N: I'm so hesitant and nervous about releasing a multi-chap fic it's not even funny. Yet I'm laughing. Probably because I actually wrote about Hibari. I love him so. XD But Yamamoto is still number one.

I know less about the Japanese school system than any of you out there. So please pardon any mistakes I might have made. That applies to stupid grammatical errors and OOCness and a whole bunch of other crap. XD

Moving on to Chapter 1! (Oh, and thanks for reading.)

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	2. Part 1

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.1..

Tsuna woke up with a peculiar feeling that said today might not be normal. When he saw the bullet holes in the ceiling spelling out "Off to Italy for business" and an empty hammock, he knew he was right.

He went downstairs, where Lambo and I-pin were fighting over breakfast, as usual, and quickly ate his own meal. Sawada Nana called pleasantly as he hurried out of the house, "Tsu-kun, remember I won't be home today until dinner time because of I-pin-chan and Lambo-kun's elementary school festival! There will be some food in the fridge when you're hungry."

_Festival_. He'd almost forgotten about his own school festival due to the rush of schoolwork and training with Reborn. Speaking of Reborn, he never said how long he would be in Italy. Tsuna felt strange. He was relieved to be free from his tutor's harsh standards, but at the same time it was lonely. Sad to say, it just proved how accustomed to Reborn he was now.

In any case, he would act just like he normally did when Reborn was there. Perhaps, he thought suddenly, it was a test to see how long Tsuna would last without the baby hitman around. Maybe Reborn was still in Japan, hiding secretly from his student as he observed. It sounded like something Reborn would do.

Tsuna smiled confidently. He may still be inexperienced and a bit of a coward, but he had learned many things in the past few years. He would prove that he didn't always need Reborn.

Of course, he was wrong.

:x:x:x:

Somehow, they were all in the same homeroom: Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Kyoko, Hana, and Haru. Ryohei was in a different class, of course, but he still visited during lunch breaks. Hibari hardly attended his own class, let alone visit the gang during lunch, much to the students' relief. With a few exceptions, it felt like everyday was crowded and full of friends. Sometimes, the guys and girls got together before class and talked. But usually they just talked separately since they sat in different parts of the room.

Today was no exception. When Tsuna walked into the classroom, he saw Yamamoto and Gokudera in their usual spots, near the windows. The three girls sat near the door, where they typically conversed and giggled.

But today, for some reason, they were all very silent. He found it so strange to see them somber after yesterday when they'd been so excited about the play. Then he stopped. Haru and Hana seemed gloomy, but it was Kyoko whose unhappiness caught his attention. Her eyes were so sad that he felt like crying himself. Of course, he didn't, because then it would be very unmanly. Instead he walked toward the windows.

"Good morning, Tenth!" Gokudera greeted as Tsuna took his seat. "Did you hear that our class is in charge of the sports portion of the festival?"

"Lucky," grinned Yamamoto. "Our class will definitely be the best."

Tsuna was so preoccupied with Kyoko that he only muttered, "Eh? Oh, okay." His friends immediately knew something was wrong.

"What's the matter, Tsuna?"

But just then the teacher came in, and told the class to open their textbooks and get ready to take a lot of notes. "You guys need to prepare for the festival, so class time will be shortened. Don't slack off now!"

A barely audible sigh came from Kyoko, but Tsuna heard it, and worried. So did Hana and Haru, and they exchanged despondent looks. Yamamoto and Gokudera looked at their boss, and also glanced at each other.

Things were not Well.

:x:x:x:

It wasn't until lunch break when things finally unraveled.

As soon as class ended, Kyoko left the classroom without a word. Hana and Haru hastily followed, not even sparing the guys a glance. Tsuna got even more worried. He thought briefly about leaping out after Kyoko, but then slumped back in his seat, feeling useless. Perhaps he had been dead wrong (already established). Maybe he _did_ need Reborn around. Without the tutor he was No-Good Tsuna all over again.

By now Gokudera and Yamamoto knew what was bothering Tsuna so much, and they had absolutely no idea what to say. "Go after her!" didn't seem particularly wise at the moment. "At least it isn't your fault, Tsuna" wasn't any better, since they weren't too sure it was entirely true. Neither was "I'll teach her for making the Tenth feel bad!" or "Maybe it's just that time of month."

It was a dilemma.

Fortunately, they weren't forced to worry about it for long. Haru burst into the room as if a monster had been chasing her and made a beeline for Tsuna. Nothing, not even classmates nor desks, stopped her, and naturally everyone stared.

"Tsuna-san!" she gasped. "I ran… all the way here… from the library! Tsuna-san… it's…!"

"It's what?" Tsuna and Yamamoto asked in unison, alarmed.

"The library?" Gokudera said instead. The library was across the building on the third floor, and their homeroom was on the very first floor. It was practically a mile's distance.

She nodded, exhausted. "Haru ran… because it's terrible news… Kyoko-chan…she—"

Tsuna's chair clattered back as he stood, his eyes wide. "Kyoko-chan? She's in trouble?" He remembered how tired and depressed she looked this morning. Did she faint? Was she ill? Or did she try to do something…? Fear and anxiety shot through him, and he abruptly ran out of the classroom, ignoring the protests.

Haru called uselessly after him, "Tsuna-san, it's okay! Kyoko-chan is fine!" But it was too late. He was gone.

Another clatter. "Tenth! Wait for me!"

"Gokudera-san, not you too—!" But she was speaking to the wind.

That just left Yamamoto, who was looking bemused.

"I don't suppose you want to dash off too, Yamamoto-san," said Haru.

"Nah, I'm good."

"Good." She took a deep breath, "Because I have a favor to ask you."

:x:x:x:

Tsuna never felt so stupid in his life. Nor did he feel as winded. Sprinting up two long staircases and dodging many people in the process was not an easy task, especially without the Dying Will. Once again, Reborn won.

"Eheh… I see. So you're okay, Kyoko-chan," he said with embarrassment. He'd burst into the library Haru-style and immediately went straight to Kyoko, not noticing the librarian's order to be quiet. Kyoko was sitting with Hana, looking perfectly fine, if a little down. But he didn't register this and grabbed her shoulders, telling her to be happy and not think about the dark stuff, because he would always be there for her if she ever needed help. He might as well have confessed right then and there.

Now Kyoko was smiling at him. "Thank you, Tsuna-kun. I didn't know you were so worried about me. But everything's all right." Hana made a disagreeing noise.

Gokudera burst in then, having not been able to catch up to Tsuna on the stairs. He also ignored the librarian's loud shush. "Tenth, is Sasagawa all right? Haru was saying—ah." At his knowing look Tsuna wanted to sink to the floor.

Hana was watching all this with a suspicious face, and now she spoke up, "Actually, everything's not all right. And since you cared so much about Kyoko, I'll tell you. Though, Haru was supposed to tell you guys, but obviously you ran off before she could."

"Hana-chan, it's okay, really." Kyoko was looking almost as embarrassed as Tsuna, and somehow she still managed to look cute in his eyes. "It's not that big of a deal. I'm already used to it!" She smiled, but everyone could see right through it.

So Hana just ignored her. "The festival play is about to be cancelled because not enough people signed up for it, and that's only Kyoko, the class representative, and a few others." She let this sink in. "Do you know how much Kyoko practiced for this? She's wanted to be in a play ever since middle school. And now, after finally getting a chance to perform, the stupid Council is throwing it back in her face." By now her voice was raising and she got a warning hush from the annoyed librarian as well.

Kyoko almost pleaded, "It's fine, Hana-chan, I don't feel so bad. I probably wasn't ready to be in a play anyways, so it just means I can join the Drama club and practice even more."

"But you've already practiced so hard for this play! And you got one of the main parts."

"That doesn't mean I was ready."

Hana looked at the boys in frustration. "Do you hear what she's saying?" She turned on her friend firmly, Kyoko, you're going to be in that play, no matter what the Student Council says. Even if I have to blackmail them." Typical Kurokawa. Tsuna didn't doubt her for a moment, remembering painfully how she tried to blackmail him into meeting Lambo.

Gokudera frowned, "So why are you telling us this?"

But Tsuna already knew, and he spoke up, "You want us to be in the play." Gokudera whirled around.

"_What_?"

Another loud 'shhh!' Hana nodded, "Haru-chan and I signed up, but it still wasn't enough people. If you boys do it, the Council might say yes."

"Forget it." Gokudera looked absolutely repulsed at the idea and he declared, "I'm not doing some sissy play. Besides, we're already busy as it is with our class' sports section. Right, Tenth?"

But Tsuna was looking at Kyoko, who had started to straighten and then deflated at Gokudera's words. He looked at Hana, who stared pointedly at him, and he swallowed. (He didn't look at the librarian who was stalking toward them with a determined glint in her eye.) He would probably regret his next words (he was already starting to), but right now, all he could think about was somehow making Kyoko feel better.

"We'll do it."

:x:x:x:

"Here you go, Yamamoto-san!" Haru chirped. He took the offered packet with a smile.

"Thanks, Haru! So this is the script." Upon reading the front cover, he raised an eyebrow, "'XXX'? That's the title of the play?"

She giggled as if hiding a secret and said, "It's actually an original play written by the Drama club president. Maruki-san said he'd been planning to perform it for a while, but he wasn't confident enough. Haru convinced him otherwise, of course, and since I'm the acting director and narrator, he entrusted everything to me!"

"That's a lot of responsibility," he remarked, not forgetting that Haru had also been self-appointed costume designer. There had been a flurry of desperate protests and a slightly-panicked Tsuna persuading her to leave the job to one of the stage hands. Yamamoto was still in the vague opinion that she was taking on a bit too much, but he said instead, "I guess the group tutor sessions will be put on hold then. At least, until the festival's over."

Haru blinked, "That's right. I completely forgot. Then what about Yamamoto-san's baseball practice?"

"Ah, that's okay. The season doesn't start until after the festival anyway. And I've been practicing every day, so it should be all right."

She already knew this. "That's a relief. Then how about this? After we finish practice today, we can do our homework together."

He laughed and admitted, "I'm glad! I was kind of worried about my math homework for a minute. So, are we going to find out our parts today?"

Her smile was mysterious, "You'll see."

And so, during practice, everybody's parts were announced. Haru explained that the parts would be chosen randomly by the Drama club president, who would draw names out of a box. It was a completely random method and the least biased, with the exception of Kyoko, Haru, Hana and Kagawa Chika, the class representative, who had already been picked for their parts.

_Please let me be the prince, please let me be the prince…!_ Tsuna crossed his fingers, wishing he was chosen as the opposite of Kyoko, who was the princess. Yamamoto wondered good-naturedly if he would get an interesting part, and Gokudera reclined in his seat because he didn't care crap about the play. (After much urging and begging, he was only there because of a not-so-subtle threat that Bianchi had some new recipes she wanted to try out on a free "volunteer.")

Maruki, the president, reached into the box and pulled out the first name. Everyone held their breath. "Gokudera Hayato," he said, "is the handsome and valiant prince."

Said prince nearly fell off his seat, stunned amidst much snickering and gasps. "Wh-_What_?"

"Gokudera Hayato is the handsome and—"

"I heard you!" Gokudera scowled. "And no, I am not."

"Not handsome?" Hana said dryly, and there were chuckles.

"Next," Maruki called before Gokudera could snap back, "Is Sawada Tsuna." There was a pause. "You will be the King."

At this Kyoko commented happily, "Ah! Tsuna-kun, you're my father!" Tsuna's face could not be more horrified and devastated.

The president continued, "Yamamoto Takeshi, you are the notorious rebel leader."

The baseball player pointed to himself and blinked, "I'm the bad guy?" In the background Gokudera was comforting a distraught Tsuna and eagerly offering to switch parts. Yamamoto laughed, "How funny!"

Maruki announced, "Chika-san is the palace maid, Kurokawa-san is the Queen, Kyoko-san is the princess, and Haru-san is the narrator and director." He smiled at the latter as Hana (with a degree of amusement) told a shocked Tsuna that by being a prince he became Kyoko's older brother. "I'm counting on you, Director-san."

She beamed and pumped a fist determinedly; oblivious that behind her Gokudera vehemently denied acting as a surrogate Sasagawa Ryohei. "Leave it to me, Maruki-san! Haru will fulfill her duties like a true Hollywood director!"

"A-ah, okay then." The president turned to the remaining students, "The rest will be in charge of everything else. That includes the lighting, stage props, costumes, background music and curtains. Haru-san, don't hesitate to assign them other duties if you ever need to lighten your work load."

Chika raised a hand, "Don't worry, Maruki-san. I'll make sure Haru-chan gives me a lot to do."

He smiled back, pushing up his glasses. "Don't push yourself."

Yamamoto stepped in (Kyoko was asking a depressed Tsuna if he was feeling okay and did he not like his part?) and grinned, "If they do, I'll be there to lighten _both_ their loads."

Haru pouted in mock exasperation (Kyoko then wondered why Hana laughed when Tsuna feebly assured her that he liked his part very much), "Nobody believes Haru can do it by herself? Hmph. Fine then." But she smiled.

Suddenly Gokudera stood up, a heavy scowl on his already scowling face. Hana and the others patiently waited for him to start his rant, which would no doubt start with by expressing his dislike for being chose as the prince. But when he didn't, they were surprised.

"Can we start already?" His tone said he reluctantly accepted that arguing was useless and he wanted to get this over with already. Tsuna was too brokenhearted to care.

Everyone exchanged grins. Haru had a twinkle in her eye as she clapped, "Okay. Let's do this!"

The festival countdown had already started.

:x:x:x:

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A/N: Snippets of this chapter were created (inevitably) during school. I am such a productive student. XD Is the storyline coming along decently? Are the characters okay? And there's a lack of YamamotoxHaru-ness, I know. That will be remedied. I'm not worried about it at all, so fans shouldn't worry either. Heh.

There is also a severe lack of Ryohei and Chrome. And some Hibari. I dare not touch on Mukuro… I am not prepared for him AT ALL. I don't think I'll ever be. XB But cute Chrome and hot Hibari (I am lol-ing right now at my own alliteration. It is pathetic) have a good chance of showing up. Maybe. Eh.

Thanks so much for reading!

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	3. Part 2

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Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! in any way.

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.2..

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:x:x:x:

The festival preparations had taken over Namimori High. Every single person in every single class in every single _grade_ found him or herself doing something directly or indirectly related to the festival. As soon as lessons were over, which there weren't much of because every single teacher was busy supervising said festival preparations, the classrooms were turned upside down, inside out. The festival was going to be quite large. That meant the whole town was expected to come.

Tsuna and Gokudera almost groaned. _That _meant certain female relatives were bound to show up as well. Yamamoto laughed it off since his dad already promised to make an appearance. But then, his dad was not about to embarrass him in front of his classmates, or worse, poison him.

Everyone (with possibly the exception of Hibari) was busy, some more so than others. For one, Haru was on top of her element. She seemed a born director, and a loud one at that.

"Hahi! Put the tree over there!" or "No, no, the river will be that direction!" and "Is that a dragon or a bush?" The stage crew ran back and forth under her orders. It was hard, laborious work, but it was infinitely better than letting her do it all herself.

"Back in middle school, Haru used to do the stage props and the costumes," declared an old classmate of said middle school. "Our class won the 'Most Abstract Event Award' three times in a row. That's every single year she's done it." It had to be a record, and not a proud one at that.

Tsuna winced. "It was that bad?"

"That's not even half of it."

"There's more?" asked Gokudera.

"We were nominated "Most Likely To Join the Circus" at least twice and voted number one as 'The Top Five Most Embarrassing Moments in Midori.' We were also runner up to the Inventions Club as 'Year's Biggest Failure.'"

"That's pretty harsh," remarked Yamamoto. Even Gokudera grudgingly agreed.

Haru's old classmate gave them a Look. "Are you kidding me? In our third year—that was our last performance—we performed the classic 'Sleeping Beauty.' And the Chairman of the _School Board_ decided to watch." The classmate buried his face. "

"What happened?" Tsuna was almost afraid to know.

"Everything. Everything that could go wrong. The costumes were made out of Styrofoam. _Styrofoam_. She said it was unique and cheap." The classmate raised his head in horror. "Can you imagine the squeaking and scratching and little bits of white stuff falling every which way you turned? We couldn't sit down. We couldn't move, we couldn't breathe—I couldn't go to the _bathroom_! And then…"

He broke off as if he couldn't go on any further because it was so mentally scarring. Tsuna looked positively terrified of the costume monster that was Haru and even Yamamoto seemed vaguely uneasy. But Gokudera was morbidly interested, and he urged, "And then? What happened?"

He paused. "They _broke_."

The trio stared. "The Styrofoam?"

He nodded miserably. "In the middle of the performance. Some students weren't wearing anything underneath."

It took a moment to register. "Oh."

"Yeah."

Tsuna swallowed. "The chairman?"

A wince. "He sat front row and center."

"Oh."

Yamamoto cleared his throat uncertainly. "Well, besides the Styrofoam idea—I think Haru's costumes are pretty interesting."

They turned to give him incredulous stares.

"Uh, _besides_ the Styrofoam idea."

More stares.

Then the classmate shook his head in disbelief, "You're crazy."

Gokudera rolled his eyes, "That's what I've always said. The baseball idiot isn't part of this world." For once, Tsuna had to agree.

Yamamoto just laughed.

:x:x:x:

It also seemed that the position of director had gotten to Haru's head. Not entirely, of course, but it was getting there.

When a certain older brother heard about the play that his dear sister and his boss were performing, he'd been delighted. When he also heard from the same source that Gokudera was to be the prince and his precious sister the princess, he speeded to the first year classroom faster than you can say "extreme."

The doors burst open, barely recovered from Haru's previous treatment.

"SAWADA!"

"Eep! Yes!" squeaked Tsuna.

"Ah. Nevermind." Ryohei pointed, "OCTOPUS HEAD!"

Gokudera had no idea why he was yelling, but he bellowed back anyways. "What, Lawn Head?!"

"How dare you touch my sister!" roared the boxer fanatic.

Everyone blinked. "Eh?"

Kyoko, Haru and Hana came in then, arms full of tools and objects needed for the festival, and they blinked at the sight of Ryohei and Gokudera getting ready to pummel each other's lights out. "Onii-chan!"

He turned, "Oh, Kyoko! That's great, I was just about to beat up this bastard to the extreme!"

"What's great about that?" gawked Tsuna.

She looked rightfully worried. "Onii-chan, what are you talking about? What did Gokudera-kun do?"

Yamamoto said, "Now, now, let's calm down," just as Gokudera snapped, "It doesn't matter! I'll take you down any day, Lawn Head!"

Ryohei's eyes lit as if on fire, "I don't care if it's Sawada because he's the boss! But I won't stand for you, Octopus Head! You just wanted to be the prince so you could be with Kyoko, eh?!"

"_Onii-chan_!"

Gokudera spluttered, "What the—I'm her _brother_ you idiot!"

This made Ryohei even more enraged. "_I'm_ her brother, you pervert!"

"P-pervert?! You're the one with a sister complex you freak!"

"Why you—"

And so this went on for quite a while, until the teacher came in and demanded to know why the two boys were having a shouting match so loud that the whole school could hear, and why the class was observing the two from outside the room instead of stopping them. The latter was because the two hotheads were hopping around the classroom and laying destruction and havoc in their wake, and the students didn't want to get in their way.

Three hours later, the students finished cleaning and restoring the room back to its original state, and Ryohei and Gokudera called a truce after everything was properly explained.

"I see how it is!" Ryohei grinned at his sister, who sighed in relief. "I'm glad for you, Kyoko. Even if it's just Octopus Head, let's show him what an extreme sister you can be!"

"What do you mean 'just'?!"

"So," continued the boxer, "Sawada, what's this play about?"

Tsuna blinked. "Huh?"

"You're the one putting it on, right? What's it about? Is there going to be any boxing?"

"Um, er, actually—"

"Come on, Sawada! Boxing is the extreme form of justice! It's wonderful!"

"W-well, that's--"

_CLANG_. Suddenly a metal dustpan fell on the desk in front of Ryohei. Everybody turned to look at her wide-eyed.

Haru smiled sweetly with danger looming in her tone, "Sasagawa-san, didn't you know? The director of the play is Haru."

Well, she made that clear. Still, Ryohei actually looked like he was going to argue, for whatever reason, but when he glanced down at the dustpan, which was very large and heavy and still held tightly in her hand, he changed his mind.

"Is there going to be any boxing?"

Haru smiled again. "No."

:x:x:x:

They began to practice as soon as school was over. While the rest of the school prepared for its own festival events, the recent students-turned-actors and actresses gathered in the theater, going over their lines. In the background was the constant sound of hammering and cutting and moving and pushing and Haru's voice as she directed the stage crew and the actors.

"I will be retiring early, dear onii-sama. Sleep well."

Gokudera was struggling. "I… uh, I bid you sweet dreams… and, er, oh! No, hold on…" He peered at the script reluctantly. "Gah! Screw this! Goodnight!"

"Hahi! That's not how the prince should talk!" Haru rushed to them, holding her own marked copy of the script. "You're supposed to say, 'I bid you sweet dreams, fairest sister. We shall talk again in the morning.'" She glared at him, "The prince needs to be charming and gentle, Gokudera-san. Not rude and vulgar!"

"I wasn't being vulgar!"

"Lower your voice, _son_, you're giving me a headache," called Hana from her 'throne,' which was currently an upturned wooden crate on the stage. Chika, the maid, stifled a laugh.

He pointed at her and complained, "You're too far to even hear us! And I'm not your son!"

"Yes she is," corrected Haru, Chika and Kyoko. Hana looked smug.

The Storm Guardian threw up with hands. "Forget this scene! When do I fight Yamamoto?"

The baseball player sat up from where he was lying back on the stage, behind the dragon-bush. "Eh? Is it my turn already?"

Haru suddenly waved her arms frantically, "Hahi! Wait, that's not supposed to go there!" She hurried off to intercept the stage hands carrying in a large table, leaving the actors.

"Gokudera-kun, let's try this scene again," suggested Kyoko. He grumbled but did as she said, albeit half-heartedly. Tsuna almost felt sorry for him, since as the king he didn't have nearly as many lines. At least one thing good came out of this unlucky arrangement.

"Hana-chan! We need that wooden crate! Hahi! Yamamoto-san, this is no time to sleep! And Kyoko-chan, could you start from the very top?"

"Okay, Haru-chan."

Gokudera was dismayed. "Start over? Again?"

"Not just _again_, Gokudera-san. We're doing this at least ten more times today!"

This time nearly everyone groaned.

:x:x:x:

It was after the group study session at Tsuna's house, which had taken place right after practice finally ended. They had never looked so forward to doing their homework, with the exception of Kyoko and Haru, and they finished quite a bit earlier than usual. Even with the usual interruptions of Lambo and I-pin arguing over their own elementary homework, and Nana calling them down to dinner, they zoomed through the assignments. Yet despite their focus, it was still dark when everybody decided to go home.

"I'll walk you home, Kyoko-chan," offered Tsuna worriedly. Hana snorted, since she was going with Kyoko anyways.

"Ah, thank you very much," smiled Kyoko.

Haru pouted, "Then who'll walk with me?"

Gokudera ignored her and said, "Tenth, I'll walk with you!"

"Eh? But you live in the opposite direction, Gokudera-kun."

"That's okay!" Gokudera said happily, "I don't need to go home for a while anyways—"

"Are you ready to go home, Hayato?" A smooth, familiar voice and they all saw Bianchi leaning against the doorway. No goggles.

Caught off guard, Gokudera clutched his stomach and gagged, "Urgh, Aneki…! When did you…?"

"Bianchi-san!"

The older woman raised a hand. "Yo. I'm back from my trip." She looked at Tsuna. "Reborn sends his regards, and says not to get too comfortable."

"E-eh? What does that mean?"

But Bianchi approached her out-of-commission brother, remarking, "I guess I'll have to carry him." So, with some help from Tsuna and Yamamoto, she half-carried Gokudera out of the house and onto the road.

Yamamoto said, "I can walk with you, Haru, since you live in the same direction."

And a little while later, after saying goodbye, they were walking down the dark, empty street. Tsuna, Kyoko, Hana in one direction and Yamamoto and Haru in the opposite.

"Hahi," she stretched, walking beside him on the sidewalk. "What a long day!"

"It was, wasn't it?" he agreed, glancing at her. "Aren't you tired? You've been really busy today."

"A little," she admitted. "But Haru is okay. There are so many things to do and not enough time to do them!" She suddenly asked earnestly, "Yamamoto-san, do you like the play?"

"Hm? Yeah, it's all right. Why?"

"Oh, Haru was just curious. Isn't Yamamoto-san the villain?"

He grinned. "Yup!" She laughed.

"Hahi! That's funny. It's so strange that Yamamoto-san is the bad guy when it's the complete opposite in real life." Her eyes gazed thoughtfully at him. "You know, you should be the prince, or at least on the good side, with Tsuna-san and Gokudera-san."

She had no idea just how ironic her words were. So he only smiled and replied, "Maybe."

Haru thought his tone changed slightly, but when she glanced at him there was nothing. So she began to hum a little song from one of her and Kyoko's favorite TV shows to fill the silence, and looked ahead at the road. Her hum died as she caught sight of what appeared to be a gang hanging back against an alley. They looked quite shady, what with them skulking in the shadows.

Yamamoto saw them as well, and he commented offhandedly, "Some folks have nothing to do at this hour."

She nodded, trying not to feel nervous. The gang had already spotted the two, and she wondered if they could turn back now. She was walking on the side closest to the alley, and thus more exposed. But her companion didn't seem to slow down in the slightest, so she kept silent and prayed nothing happened. The gang members watched them, and a few mouthed to each other. Unconsciously, she inched closer to him.

Yamamoto's hand strayed to his back. Then, it dropped. When they were close enough to see each gang member's face, he reached out an arm around Haru's shoulders. It was firm, almost intimate, and right now it was a protective gesture.

Haru startled and then relaxed, grateful. Still, she felt wary as they walked closer to the gang, and right when they were within touching distance she pressed into his side, waiting for one of them to grab her, or stop them. Much to her relief they didn't do anything.

It wasn't until they were around the corner and well away that she released the breath she'd been holding in. _Safe_.

Yamamoto chuckled quite close to her, "That was fun. Are you okay?"

"Yes." Haru managed to smile again, "Hahi! Haru's heart is still pounding. I'm glad you walked with me after all, Yamamoto-san. Thank you."

"Haha! No problem." His arm slid from her, and both instantly felt the loss of heat. "Your house is here, isn't it?"

Haru blinked at her gates. "Hahi! That was fast!" She turned and bowed, saying, "Thank you again, Yamamoto-san."

He waved it off, "Goodnight, Haru."

She waved back, "Walk home safely!" Then on impulse added, "'I bid you sweet dreams!'"

He laughed.

:x:x:x:

* * *

A/N: Whew, another chapter. At first, I thought I wasn't going to write anymore of this until at least a week. My computer must be overheating from all the fics I produced this week. Oh well.

I wonder… were the characters OOC? That's all I'm worried about. Er, that, and the story plot. What do you think? And how was the YamaxHaru interaction? XD

Thanks: To the reader who corrected one of the few Japanese terms I know. "Aneki" instead of "Aniki"-- I thought it didn't make sense.

Thanks for reading!

* * *


	4. Part 3

* * *

.3..

:x:x:x:

With the festival day looming, the Student Council eagerly reminded the freshmen drama crew to practice hard. They were expecting an audience of a few hundred or so, and the audience expected a good performance. Haru and Kyoko were ecstatic.

In theory, this meant that they were excused from any other club or class they were in. They still had to help their class prepare the food stands and decorate the room. Yamamoto's baseball team decided to hold a game booth; Hana and Kyoko were excused from their Home Ec. activity; Haru went through a few minutes of depression when she refused the rhythmic gymnastics club (they asked her to be the children's show star performer). Gokudera discreetly went around offering (threatening) his assistance to many clubs, but everybody declined most profusely, saying his presence would be sorely missed at the play. It had nothing to do with the fact that Tsuna spotted Bianchi speaking with the clubs beforehand and brandishing a plate of her cooking under their noses.

"Let's go over the script during lunch, Haru-chan," suggested Kyoko after class. Within earshot, Hana winced.

Haru was already heading to the door whilst shouting over her shoulder, "Meet me at the library, Kyoko-chan! Hana-chan too!"

One of the crew members shot to his feet. "Wait, Miura-san!" But the door shut.

"What is it?" asked Kyoko.

"I wanted to tell her about the lights. They've been flickering for the past few days." He shrugged. "We're not sure how to fix it."

Hana chuckled. "Then you're on your own. She's got nothing in her head but the script."

In the library, Haru was surprised to find most of the drama cast sitting at a table in the back, their heads bent down in concentration. It was rare to see Tsuna, Yamamoto and Gokudera in the library during lunch. Then she realized they were studying _their_ script as well. As the director, she felt her heart swell in happiness at this knowledge.

"Tsuna-san! Yamamoto-san! Gokudera—" Haru quailed as the librarian pierced her with a glare. "—san. Haru is so happy," she finished in a whisper.

"What?"

She smiled. "You guys are working so hard for the play! Haru is proud."

They looked at each other and Tsuna said slowly, "Thanks Haru. Ah, you're working hard too."

"Of course! Haru is the director after all." She suddenly squeezed between Tsuna and Gokudera to look at the papers spread on the desk. "Haru can help if you want. I know the script inside and out—" She finally looked at the papers. They were not scripts but rather pages of another language.

Yamamoto chuckled apologetically, "Um, we're actually studying Italian, Haru."

Gokudera hissed, "Oi, don't tell her everything!"

"It's okay," Tsuna mollified, looking at Haru's surprised face. "Sorry Haru. We're practicing for the play, but we have to study other things as well. It's not that we don't take the play seriously or anything…"

"You guys are so smart!" They were taken aback by her sudden exclamation. She smiled brightly, "Not only are you practicing for the play, but you also find time to learn extra subjects! Marvelous! Haru is impressed! Haru underestimated your intelligence."

"Like _you_ should talk!"

"Hahi! I was just complimenting you, Gokudera-san!"

"Now, now you two, keep it down. The librarian is coming over." Yamamoto turned to her with a more serious smile. "Haru, remember not to work yourself too hard. We wouldn't want the director to collapse on us."

Tsuna agreed. "You don't have to push yourself, Haru. We can help you."

Gokudera disagreed moodily with the Tenth. Quite a rare occurrence. "I thought you _underestimated_ us."

"No, no, Haru is impressed by your thirst for knowledge!"

She was truly impressed, but she also saw the corner of a pamphlet showing from underneath Tsuna's paper. It looked like a brochure and it had an Italian name on it, most likely a tourist site. She wondered why Tsuna had it, and more importantly why he was hiding it, yet she didn't ask.

Instead, she continued to smile.

.x.x.x.

It was during break time and the class was milling about, chattering and laughing while the teacher took his sweet time. Yamamoto was putting his things away and ready to join Tsuna and Gokudera, when he heard it.

"Miura-san? Miura-san?" The same crew member from before was trying to get Haru's attention. So far he wasn't succeeding. Haru was gazing at nothing, chin in her palm.

Yamamoto called, "Haru! Haru, he wants to talk to you."

"Miura-san!"

Suddenly her head snapped up, and the crew member was startled to see her glaring at him.

"_What_?" she snarled.

The whole room fell silent.

Then, realizing what she'd just done, Haru frantically apologized, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to… I mean, I was just caught off-guard…"

He and Yamamoto glanced at each other. "It's fine, Miura-san," he said. "I just wanted to tell you about the theater lights…"

Yamamoto listened for a bit before looking at Haru. She seemed back to her normal, cheerful self, but there was a distracted light in her eyes that said otherwise. He wondered how much sleep she was getting every night.

As it turned out, not that much.

.x.x.x.

Play practice was a disaster.

At first, some people were late because they got held up by their other festival activities. Haru could understand that because she too was a victim of helping her class with their duties. She was also the director of the play, and thus, prioritized it above all else, unlike the crew members. So she didn't let the slight bump bother her and cheerfully went on with practice.

But then... practice was a failure. The script was awkward. It was not flowing, and some parts of it didn't make sense. Actually, it wasn't the script, but more the actors and actresses themselves. Their parts didn't fit their character and style, making the flow of the story faulty and… awkward.

For example, Tsuna and Hana simply weren't acting their roles as the beloved King and Queen. They weren't very royal, and they weren't a very loving couple either. Yamamoto was the complete opposite of his part (what rebel leader laughed and apologized every time he had to sword fight?), and Gokudera simply was _not_ Prince Charming. Kagawa Chika played her role okay, though she seemed more interested in the props. Out of the whole cast, Kyoko was the only person to act her part decently, but that was because she spent more time practicing than Haru and the cast combined.

Then twenty minutes into practice the one and only Hibari Kyoya swept in, scaring half the people witless and irking a few hot-headed types (Haru, Gokudera, etc.) by his very presence. Ignoring Tsuna's nervous greeting, he settled into one of the back audience seats and gazed at the temporary drama crew with hawk eyes. After a few edgy minutes it became obvious he wasn't going to move, and so they continued to practice with the new awareness that he was watching them. Needless to say, the already-insufficient actors were rendered useless by this unsettling attention.

On top of that, the lights were flickering from time to time, frustrating the crew workers who were trying to adjust them to no end. And the light-flickering had intensified upon Hibari's entrance, making his presence all the more ominous.

Patience pushed to the brink, Haru decided a long break was appropriate.

Just then the doors burst open, and in came Ryohei with his overwhelming energy, nearly blowing away the weary crew. Everyone braced themselves for the inevitable shout fest.

But he surprised everyone by saying seriously, "Sawada? Will you come with me for a sec?" Everyone but Haru was too distracted to notice Hibari slip silently out of the theater. As Tsuna blinked and made his way to the door, Ryohei stayed true to his character by adding, "Oh, and those two can come too." A careless wave at Gokudera and Yamamoto.

Gokudera fumed, "As if I need your permission! I will always follow the Tenth no matter what!"

"We'll be back soon," Yamamoto told the rest, and with that the four boys were gone.

The crew members either sat around or goofed off on the stage, and some girls went to visit the other clubs working for the festival. Kyoko and Hana did their homework, which Haru already finished because it was math. Easy.

So, after several minutes, the director decided to get some fresh air. Hopefully it would ease her boredom and frustration at the lack of productivity on the play. Besides, the flickering lights were really bothering her.

"In fifteen minutes we'll start practice again," she told the chattering group.

Breath in, breath out, she told herself. She was getting so sensitive these days, especially during practice. The festival was coming soon and as the director she felt responsible for making this play a success. The expectation and stress was starting to get to her, and she didn't want to become worked up. Wasn't this play all for fun? It was merely an enjoyable project that she and her best friends decided to do together. In the end, it was the memories of this experience that she wanted the most, wasn't it?

She didn't pay attention to where she was going, so lost in her thoughts that she was, and almost missed the staircase. Shaking out of her daze, Haru went down the steps, deciding to stop by the restroom, when she heard familiar voices.

"But what about the play?"

It was Tsuna. She stopped. His voice sounded upset, and she wondered what they were talking about.

"We have no choice." Reborn. She could recognize that baby's voice anywhere. "_They_ ordered it, so there's little you guys can do about it. Anyways, you'll be staying for the play."

"Tenth, don't worry, I'm with you all the way!" Gokudera sounded happier than Tsuna. "We'll show those geezers our true power! Even if Hibari, the woman, and that idiot cow are coming too."

"But it's so sudden!" protested Tsuna. Haru was beginning to get a bad feeling. What was Reborn talking about? Were they going to do something illegal?

"You guys are lucky to have a few days of notification. It's only because I went to Italy ahead of time."

She froze. Cold realization washed over her.

"How extreme! This time it's a tournament in Italy, eh?"

"It's not a tournament, Lawn-head!"

"But what about the others?" This time Yamamoto spoke. "We're just going to up and leave for Italy without telling them?"

"We're staying there for a week, Reborn! How do we explain that to everyone?"

"I already took care of the school. You can tell your family and friends anything you want."

She placed a hand on the wall and stepped backwards, back up the stairs. The brochure, the studying during lunch... it all made sense now. Suddenly she realized she wasn't supposed to know this. They had been planning to keep it a secret from everyone. Especially her.

"So we don't tell the girls until the day of the festival?"

"It should be fine. Just say that it was an emergency."

"Yeah. That way we don't worry them. At least Haru will be happy that we're practicing for the play."

The girl did not know this because she was already up the stairs and gone.

.x.x.x.

Kyoko and Hana looked up. "Eh, Haru, you're back early!"

"We're going to practice everyone. Let's go through the whole script." She didn't look at anybody as she made her way to the stage. Everyone exchanged glances, surprised at the girl's dull expression. Something had happened to Haru.

"But Tsuna-tachi aren't back yet," some crew members pointed out.

Haru turned and bent down to retrieve her script from the chair, and she shrugged, "That's too bad for them. We can practice even if they're not here." The lights flickered. "Now, let's get to work!"

Hana nudged Kyoko and raised her eyebrows at the director.

"I told you. She's got nothing in her head but the script."

Kyoko frowned.

.x.x.x.

"Miura-san, will you answer this question?"

No answer.

"Miura-san?"

The whole class turned to look at Miura Haru, who was clearly awake but mentally not present. She was gazing blankly at the back of Hana's head, oblivious of the attention on her.

A sigh. "Sasagawa-san, will you please poke her or something?"

Kyoko obediently poked Haru with a pencil. "Haru-chan! Haru-chan, pay attention!" No answer.

The teacher pushed up his glasses. "There's no helping it. I'll speak to her later."

From the other side, Yamamoto suddenly raised his hand and said, "Sensei! Haru is actually sleeping with her eyes open. I know because I do it all the time."

Behind him, Tsuna sunk in his seat and moaned, "That makes it worse."

Everybody laughed. The festival was around the corner and the whole school was in high, relaxed spirits. The teacher even smiled, acquiescing to their addictive mood. Haru was one of his brightest students after all.

"Being a director really takes up one's energy. Even one such as Miura-san."

Haru's distractedness didn't end there. On her way to class she tripped over nothing and crashed into a student carrying a load of art objects, causing him to lose balance and drop all the paint. This caused other students to slip and fall, and then crash into more students, resulting in mayhem.

At the library Haru didn't see a messy pile of books stacked precariously on a step ladder, and as she brushed by it the books came crashing down on her head. If she hadn't tripped at that exact same moment, she would've gotten hit for sure. But she tripped straight into the bookshelf, causing it to tip over and basically cause more chaos.

"Haru-chan, do you need to see the nurse?" Kyoko asked concerned. "You don't look so well."

Haru shook it off. "I'm fine. I just need to wash my face."

As she left Hana muttered to Kyoko, "She needs more than a face wash to wake her up."

"What? A shower?"

Hana sighed. "At this rate, Haru's going to get herself killed."

.x.x.x.

"Bye! See you guys tomorrow!"

Play practice ended early, much to everyone's relief. Even Haru looked glad as she dragged herself wearily out of the theater. All she wanted to do was go home and sleep.

"Haru-chan!" Kyoko ran to her and Haru stopped. "Come over to my house, okay?"

Haru blinked. "Why?"

"So we can relax and have some girl time," inputted Hana as she joined them.

"And we need to talk," added Kyoko when she saw Haru about to protest.

The director simply nodded. "Okay." She didn't have the energy to object right now. This made Kyoko and Hana glance at each other.

"We'll have a sleep over, okay? So bring a change of clothes."

"Okay."

Haru mulled over this as she walked home, ignoring other pedestrians. She was tired, true, but she was mainly distracted. It was all too obvious what the reason for the distraction was. For the umpteenth time she clenched her fists and shook her head to get rid of the unpleasant thoughts.

_They're leaving. They're leaving without telling us_.

It wasn't the fact that they were going to another country for a week. Well, maybe a little, she conceded. But it wasn't just that. What bothered her most was that all of them, even Tsuna, didn't trust her enough to say they were leaving. And it hurt her.

She closed her eyes briefly, trying to will away everything she heard that day at the stairs. Haru wished she didn't hear it, but at the same time she was glad she did. Her stomach twisted at the thought of Kyoko and Hana and everyone else that didn't know yet, or maybe never would.

_I thought we were friends._

A car was coming. Haru didn't notice as she stepped onto the road, eyes not seeing anything. The car's breaks screeched as they tried to stop, but to no avail. She looked up and her eyes vaguely widened, but it was already too late—

Yamamoto suddenly grabbed her arm and jerked her back onto the sidewalk, to safety. The car honked angrily as it sped past a startled Haru. Pedestrians glanced curiously at the two.

She turned to her savior and blinked. "Hahi. Yamamoto-san."

"'Hahi?' Is that all you can say, Haru?"

Her eyes fell on the ground where she'd dropped her script, and she bent to retrieve it. His hand came down around her wrist and tugged her back, stopping her. She turned to stare at him.

"Yamamoto-san, what are—"

"You're overworking yourself."

She blinked. "Who? Me?"

He wasn't smiling for once. "You shouldn't take on more than you can handle, Haru. Don't try too hard."

Haru pulled her arm away and picked up her script, avoiding his gaze. "What are you talking about? I'm not stressed at all." She paused. "Thank you. But I was really just being careless." Her laughter was light. "It won't happen again."

Something in him snapped. "Haru, you could have been _killed_."

And suddenly it hit her. She really could have been seriously injured had Yamamoto not been there. She could be lying unconscious on the cold cement right now, or worse, dead.

It was stupid. She was stupid. How could she just blow it off so easily? But she was tired and stressed and yes, she was overworking herself. Yet a part of her didn't want to admit. It wasn't her fault. It was Tsuna. He was going soon—and Reborn said—and now they were leaving just like that. It overwhelmed her, as if she was drowning in an angry sea of emotions.

And finally, she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Why are you worrying so much anyways? It's not like you care." It came out before she could think, and she immediately regretted it.

Yamamoto looked stunned. "What do you mean by that?"

She didn't look at him. "It's obvious. You and Tsuna-san and everyone will be leaving soon. So why should you even care about us?"

Realization dawned in his eyes before being replaced by a frown. "That's not true and you know it. Did we ever say anything like that?" A pause. "_Did_ we, Haru?"

"Then why won't you tell us?" she burst out, finally unable to take it. "Were you planning to leave suddenly without telling us where you went? You were, weren't you?" Her fists clenched. "You don't trust us. I thought we were friends, Yamamoto-san."

At this Yamamoto flared up. "Then what about you, Haru? Were you going to keep doing everything by yourself, not letting your friends into your world and help you, until you drop from exhaustion? Is that what friends are to you?" He was trying to control himself, but it was hard. "Or like just now—are you trying to make us worry about you? Do you _like_ doing that?"

Haru's mouth dropped open. Then her jaw tightened and her voice trembled, "You don't understand."

"What don't I understand--" She turned and walked away, pushing past the pedestrians blindly. "Haru!"

She bumped hard into a person--Tsuna, but she didn't stop. Soon, she disappeared into the sea of people.

"Ah—Haru!" Tsuna blinked as he stared after her, and then he caught sight of Yamamoto. "Yamamoto, did you see Haru—" He saw the look on his friend's face and asked, "What happened?"

The baseball player attempted to smile, but it didn't work. "Nothing. Don't worry, Tsuna."

For some reason, Tsuna didn't believe him.

.x.x.x.

Kyoko opened the door and smiled, "Haru-chan, you're early… What's wrong?"

"Kyoko-chaaaan!" Haru suddenly burst into tears and threw herself on the startled girl. "It's the sea," she wailed, "Haru is drowning in the sea!"

The younger Sasagawa blinked and then gently smiled. She patted Haru's head. "There, there. Don't drown."

Haru only wailed louder.

.x.x.x.

* * *

A/N: All I have to say is that I've had this whole chapter written out in detail for a very long time. (Hehe, **Garowyn**.) I hope the chapter flowed decently and that the characters weren't too OOC and that y'all weren't too disappointed. XP

That said, hope you enjoyed reading! I'll answer any questions you've got. XD

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